Australia
Previous apperances: 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015
Best Finish: Winner - 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015
Aaron Finch (Captain)
Batsman | Age: 32
Matches - 109 | Runs– 4052 | HS– 153* | Avg– 39.33 | 100s– 13 | 50s– 21.
After struggling to score for more than a year, the Australian ODI captain got his mojo back just ahead of the World Cup. The Victorian batsman’s resurgence started with match-winning 93 against India in Ranchi, and looked more confident at the top of the order scoring two consecutive tons against Pakistan in March. He sent a warning to the all the bowlers at the World Cup as he amassed 451 runs in five matches at an average of 112.75. Finch’s strengths include getting off to a blitzy start and an ability to evenly pace his innings to a devastating effect. Get him out early or suffer for an innings which could feel like an eternity.
Bowler | Age: 29
Matches- 6 | Wickets- 7 | BB- 3-63 | Eco- 5.33
A new addition to Australia’s ODI setup, the left-arm pacer made his ODI debut in February 2019 against India. Behrendorff brings rich experience as a new-ball bowler, having made his first-class debut in 2011. His ability to swing the ball has posed questions to ace top-order batsman, and was on display in the T20I against India at Guwahati where he dismissed Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey for single-digit scores. However, he can be expensive in the middle and death overs and that's something big-hitters will look to capitalise on.
Alex Carey
Wicket-keeper/Batsman | Age: 27
Matches- 19 | Runs- 429| HS- 55| Avg- 30.64 | 50s- 1 | Catches- 16 | Stumpings- 3
Starting out as a football player with Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2010-11, Alex Carey’s sporting career took another route altogether when he decided to pursue cricket with South Australia. Despite playing just one ODI, he was named the T20I vice-captain for Australia's England series and there was no turning back after that. The 27-year-old has made the transition from playing as an opener for his domestic sides to take up the role of a finisher in the lower-middle order for Australia. Current coach Justin Langer and batting coach Ricky Ponting rate the keeper-batsman highly for his glovework.
Bowler | Age: 31
Matches- 27 | Wickets- 48 | BB- 4-48 | Eco- 5.47
Picked ahead of the experienced Josh Hazlewood, Coulter-Nile brings a lot to the table. He is electric in the field, can pack a punch coming lower down the order and has the ability to hit the deck hard at dizzying speeds. The highly competitive Australian fast bowling talent pool and a string of injuries kept the 31-year-old out of the side for a long time, which saw his miss out on 2015 World Cup. However, he will be a useful part of the arsenal in England's seaming conditions though one might wonder how many opportunities he will get to play with Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson and Jason Behrendoff all vying for a spot in the playing XI.
Pat Cummins
Bowler | Age: 26
Matches- 48 | Wickets- 82 | BB- 5-70 | Eco- 5.18
Pat Cummins burst onto to the international scene aged 18, with a man-of-the-match- winning performance in his debut Test against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2011. He showed promise over the next few years despite being sidelined due to issues with his back, prompting Cricket Australia to include him in the 2015 World Cup squad. He played just two matches in that tournament, but is one of the more seasoned players in the squad. Co-vice captain for the side across all formats, Cummins has the world no.1 ranking in Tests besides being in sensational ODI form with 25 wickets in just 11 ODIs in the past two years.
Batsman | Age: 32
Matches- 31 | Runs - 1238 | HS- 104 | Avg- 44.21| 100s- 2 | 50s- 10
The Pakistan-born Queenslander was not touted to be a limited-overs specialist when he debuted for Australia’s Test side in 2013. But his imperious form in the ODI series against India and Pakistan suggests how far he has developed his game. He has 10 fifties and 2 centuries in ODIs, out of which 5 half-centuries and both the tons have come in the past ten matches. Capable of playing anywhere in the top-order, Khawaja is fluent against pace and spin. He is also a licensed pilot and has a degree from New South Wales School of Aviation.
Nathan Lyon
Bowler | Age: 31
Matches- 25 | Wickets- 26 | Best- 4-44 | Eco- 4.86
For a bowler with 343 Test wickets, it is surprising to see that Nathan Lyon has only played 25 ODIs since his debut in 2012. Despite being Australia’s premier Test spinner for a long time, Lyon has been overlooked for the limited-overs. Much like his teammates, the 31-year-old has cemented his spot to play in his first World Cup with his outstanding performances in the series against India and UAE (vs Pakistan) bowling 80 overs for a measly 4.7 runs per over.
Shaun Marsh
Batsman | Age: 35
Matches- 71 | Runs- 2747 | HS- 151 | Avg- 41.62 | 100s- 7 | 50s- 15
It will be the first World Cup for Shaun Marsh. Son of former Australian opener Goeff Marsh, the 35-year-old made his ODI debut against West Indies at Kingstown in 2008, making an impressive 81. However, it has not been a smooth road for the stylish left-hander since then. After struggling to make it to the national team, the southpaw made a comeback in the series against England and South Africa in 2018 scoring four centuries and went from strength to strength in 2019 scoring 3 fifties and a hundred in the series against India and Pakistan.
Glenn Maxwell
All-rounder | Age: 30
Matches- 100 | Runs- 2700 | HS- 102 | Avg- 33.33 | 100s- 1 | 50s- 19 | Wickets- 50 | Best- 4-46 | Eco- 5.56
One of the most destructive batsman in world cricket right now, Glenn Maxwell’s ability to muscle the ball irrespective of the conditions, shot him to fame as quickly as it raised doubts over his ability due to inconsistency. However, back-to-back series-defining performances against India and Pakistan in early 2019 gave selectors the confidence to persist with Maxwell and give him his second World Cup call. The 30-year-old is a livewire in the field and can also chip in with some useful off-break in the middle overs. He holds the record for the fastest ODI hundred by an Australian in 51 balls against Sri Lanka in the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal which is his only ODI century.
David Warner
Batsman | Age: 32
Matches- 106 | Runs- 4343 | HS- 179 | Avg- 43.43 | 100s - 14 | 50s - 17
One of the deadliest openers in world cricket, Warner will be making his comeback into the Australian side after a one-year ban for ball tampering. The 32-year-old has been the country's most reliable opening option across all formats of the game. He caught the world's attention when he made his debut with a 43-ball 83 in the T20I against South Africa without playing a single first-class match prior. The ban doesn't seem to have affected his quality of cricket as the explosive left hander has been leading the IPL scoring chart by a mile.
Steve Smith
Batsman | Age: 29
Matches- 108 | Runs- 3431 | HS- 164 | Avg- 41.84 | 100s- 8 | 50s- 19
Steven Smith took responsbility for the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket last year and found himself serving a ban alongide David Warner. He now returns to the side to help Australia defend the title. Starting out as a leg-spinner who could occassionally wield the willow, Smith soon transformed into the world’s No.1 Test batsman by 2015 with some gritty performances under his belt. Though there were doubts about his limited-overs prowess, he became the first batsman to record 50+ scores in five consecutive World Cup games, including a match-winning 56 not out in the final against New Zealand at Melbourne. While it will be strange to not see him lead the side, his experience and skill will prove crucial for Austrlia on cricket's grandest stage.
Mitchell Starc
Bowler | Age: 29
Matches - 75 | Wickets - 145 | BB - 6-28 | Eco- 4.96
No stranger to World Cup glory, Australia’s pace spearhead comes into the tournament after winning the Man of the Tournament in 2015 having taken 22 wickets and helping his team lift the cup for a record fifth time. Standing tall at 6 feet 4 inches, Starc generates pace excess to 150 mph, making life difficult for batsmen with his lethal toe crushers and in-swingers. A calf injury forced him out of IPL 2019 to focus on the World Cup and one can only expect him to come back stronger than before. He is an asset on the field because of his powerful throwing arm and athleticism, something which runs in the family -- his younger brother Brandon Starc is a high-jumper who has represented Australia in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Adam Zampa
Bowler | Age: 27
Matches- 44 | Wickets - 60 | Best - 4-43 | Eco - 5.59
One of the finds of the 2010 Under-19 World Cup where Australia lifted the trophy, Adam Zampa made his debut for the senior side in 2016 T20I series against New Zealand. Constantly compared to the legendary Shane Warne for his action and tossed up deliveries, Zampa’s variations are an asset for any limited-overs side. His 6-19 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2016 are the third best figures for any bowler. However, with Nathan Lyon finding his limited-overs mojo in the recent series against India and Pakistan, the 27-year-old might find himself being sparingly used on the seaming English tracks.
Marcus Stoinis
All-rounder | Age: 29
Matches - 33 | Runs - 963 | HS - 146* | Avg - 38.52 | 100s - 1 | 50s - 6 | Wickets - 26 | Best - 3-16 | Eco - 6.14
Stoinis' World Cup journey goes back to his days as a U-19 player when he represented his country in 2008's U-19 World Cup. His international ascension has been a long process though. After struggling at the domestic level, he was forced to swap Western Australia for Victoria. He soon made it into the Australia A side in 2015 after a brilliant season in the Sheffield Shield and subsequently earned his international debut in the same year against England. Being an adaptable batsman, he gives his team the option to be flexible with the batting order and can strike the ball powerfully which makes him a finisher in the team alongside Maxwell. His medium pace also offers the team to play an extra seamer.
Kane Richardson
Bowler | Age: 28
Matches- 20 | Wickets- 29 | Best- 5-68 | Eco- 5.51
The 28-year-old seamer from South Australia was a part of Australia's World Cup-winning Under-19 team in 2010 and played a crucial knock of 44 against Pakistan in the final. Richardson made his ODI debut at the Adelaide Oval, in 2013, but had a forgettable outing after he was ordered out of the attack by the umpires for repeatedly running on the pitch. However, his breakthrough one-day performance came against India in January 2016, with a five-wicket haul winning him the man-of-the-match. An ODI and T20I regular, Richardson had failed to make it to Australia's 15-member squad for the 2019 World Cup before an injury to Jhye Richardson opened doors for him.
Comments
SHARE